


Passing Time

by AciidHeart



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Introspection, M/M, Pining, Pining Dan Avidan, Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 06:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17892866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AciidHeart/pseuds/AciidHeart
Summary: So long as he’s breathing, Dan is certain of one thing: that he will love Arin Hanson, and he will be loved in turn.





	Passing Time

Maybe it's in the way that Arin looks at him.

Dan will occasionally find himself catching Arin's eye, whether it be during a recording session or when they're out for lunch with some of their friends. Every single time their gazes meet, Arin's expression softens into something more tender, something more careful- it's as if Arin is laying himself bare as he takes Dan in, loving and earnest for the briefest of moments before the spell is broken, and he’s turning away to laugh at a joke that had been made or a cutscene in the game they're playing.

Sometimes Dan thinks that he's imagining things.

Sometimes he'll be the one to catch Arin's gaze first, offering the faintest of smiles, trying to speak a thousand nothings in the hopes that Arin might hear them.

\--/--/--

Maybe it's in the way that Arin touches him.

Arin is an affectionate guy. He's got no qualms about showing his love for his friends in small ways. He catches Matt in a brief hug on his way out of the office for the day. He squeezes Ross's shoulder while leaning over his chair, talking quietly about something related to _Gameoverse_ or simply chatting about their days. He'll sling an arm around Vernon's shoulder when he asks if anyone wants to go out for lunch with an easy smile.

He'll rest his legs in Dan's lap when they're recording late at night, trying not to fidget too much so his heels won't dig into Dan's thighs. He'll comically pull the Yawn and Stretch maneuver during the weekly meetings and laugh it off when he's called out on it, but he’ll keep his arm slung across Dan's shoulders for the rest of the meeting.

He'll ruffle Dan's hair during more giggly late-night recording sessions just to fuck with him, or he'll curl into Dan's side and throw a blanket over them both while they play, and he won't move until they're finished recording or have to change the game.

Sometimes Dan thinks that he's imagining things- that he's paying too much attention to the playful hand on his thigh that lingers just a moment too long before finally retracting with a light squeeze. That he's thinking too much about the times they take breaks during recording to cuddle and Arin plays with his hair until he dozes off into a quick power nap.

Sometimes he'll be the one to brush their hands together while they're out for dinner, trying to ask a thousand unspoken questions in the hopes that Arin might answer them.

\--/--/--

Maybe it's in the way that Arin talks with him.

Of course, it's easy to misinterpret things and take them too seriously- or not take them seriously enough. Dan has made his own fair share of communication errors in the past, and as a result he's taken to being more careful with the conversations he has with other people. Arin is just as careful, paying close attention to how he should be acting in more professional environments, taking heed of the comfort levels of people he doesn't know very well.

When they're together, though, everything is tossed out the window.

It's not that they don't care about the things they say to each other; Dan just knows that they've known each other long enough for him to be able to speak his mind freely and honestly with the confidence that Arin will be on the same page. And he is, for the most part- the level of communication they have with one another is comfortable and easy, something that Dan has grown to admire and treasure over the past seven years of their friendship. They can talk about anything and everything under the sun and still find new things to learn about each other.

It's like he's found a home wrapped up into a person.

Then there are the jokes that Arin tells- bits for the show that rarely bleed into their everyday conversations, when they're not recording and not putting on any exaggerations. Innuendos, suggestive pick up lines, or even outright declarations of all the raunchy things that Arin wants to do to him. In the moment they do nothing more than make Dan laugh, make him throw his head back and lean his whole weight onto Arin's side because he's so overtaken by the ridiculousness of it all. Later, when Dan is alone in his house and winding down for the day, he thinks about the jokes- thinks about what it would be like if they weren't just jokes. Just maybe…

The most conflicting words are during the times where they're at their most tired and vulnerable. The affectionate words and unsolicited flattery always catch Dan off guard whether they're by themselves or recording for something. He knows that Arin is open about his love for his friends- you never have to guess how Arin might be feeling because he makes sure that he's clear about just how much you mean to him.

So every time he hears an “I love you,” Dan holds it close, because he knows that Arin is nothing if not genuine in his love- that he would rather die than spout out false affections.

Sometimes Dan thinks that he's imagining things. That he's taking Arin’s affection for granted, wasting his time pretending that the lingering touches and soft gazes and heartfelt words might actually mean something in the way he wishes they would. That he’s putting their friendship at risk.

Sometimes he'll be the one to say it first, trying to sing a thousand silent songs in the hopes that Arin will sing them back to him.


End file.
